Though the Bad Liar songstress wasn’t speaking on the price of fame, but about the “lonely” road to figuring out her mental health issues.

Looking back on the year she took off, Selly recalled how a “huge fog lifted from my life” after gaining a better understanding of where her frustrations stemmed from — but also made sure to point out her inward journey was a isolating one:

“It’s a lonely journey to really figure out where all this stuff is coming from. And to detach from it. It becomes an addiction, it becomes a habit, retraining your mind to not go to these negative places when you say something wrong, do something wrong, when you wear a certain thing or represent a certain culture. But it is lonely, I had to lose a lot of people in my life to get there.”

All that alone time seemed to be worth it, seeing how vocal the actress has become about her anxiety, panic attacks, and depression related to her lupus complications.

As for how others struggling with mental health can seek guidance, Gomez suggested:

“Ask somebody you respect. I asked teachers, coaches, managers, people that I respected [because of] the way they’ve lived their life. I asked them, ‘How did you get to this place? What were you like when you were 25? What were the things that you were thinking about?’ And then from there, being with like-minded people. You are who you surround yourself with — 100 percent. If you’re around people who think that stuff is dumb, that think it’s ridiculous — ‘You’re crazy! You’re fine!’ — but you don’t feel that way, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate that.”

Selly also noted the importance of having people you can be open and honest with in your life — and how a few close friends is better than countless acquaintances. She continued:

“You have to figure out the people that are in your circle. I feel like I know everybody but have no friends. I have like three good friends that I can tell everything to, but I know everyone. I go anywhere and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, how’s it going?’ And it feels great to be connected to people, but having boundaries is so important. You have to have those few people that respect you, want the best for you and you want the best for them. It sounds cheesy, but it’s hard.”